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THE
House leadership has endorsed the proposed P3-billion
special fund to relocate 126,230 families living in
almost subhuman conditions along esteros, dump sites and
other danger zones in Metro Manila.
“I
strongly support the P3-billion, three-year program
proposed by Metro Manila congressmen to collectively
address the immediate concerns of the families affected
by the demolition to permanently solve the decades-old
problem of informal settlers,” said Speaker Prospero
Nograles.
Nograles
also lauded the immediate action taken by Lakas Rep.
Rodolfo Valencia of Oriental Mindoro, chairman of the
Housing and Urban Development Committee, following an
initial public hearing last week to create a technical
working group to fine-tune the details of the program.
“It is
our duty to put in place permanent solutions to
alleviate the sad plight of our people. Once enacted
into law, we hope to duplicate this program in other
urban centers,”
Valencia
said.
Legislators said the project will solve problems of
housing, health, environment, tourism, criminality and
other collateral issues, and most of all, “restore the
dignity of our underprivileged citizens.”
Citing
statistics for Metro Manila, at least 14,132 families
live along esteros, 11,340 along road right of way,
67,949 along waterways, 14,132 near transmission lines,
2,821 near airports, and about 16,506 in areas of
priority development, dump sites, MWSS and market
places.
Metro
Manila legislators noted that every rainy season the
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) keeps
on locating the lost esteros of the metropolis, and as a
result, demolition of houses are being done that
resulted to the displacement of thousands. Worse, the
displaced families were merely transferred from one
danger area to another danger area.
The
legislators said that despite the constitutional
guidelines, the government policy “seems confusing.”
“Social
justice for the underprivileged and homeless citizens of
the state on one hand; while on the other, eviction and
demolition when expediency arises in addressing the
immediate concern of Metro Manila residents to remove
the shanties in the esteros, to let water flow along its
natural course, and avoid flooding in said places,” they
said. |
